How To Write Online and Make Money without Spending A Dime

You might have noticed the ‘Ask Sharon’ box in the sidebar. That’s my attempt to help writers with the real questions they have about getting paid to write. The first question I’m going to tackle is: “How do I write online and make money without it costing me money?” The questioner was anonymous, but I thought we could all benefit from this.

Writing online and making money is simple, though not easy. By that I mean that there are plenty of writing opportunities out there. There are also lots of people who take the time to weed out the dross so that you don’t waste your time. It’s no secret that I like the Writer’s Bridge, but since that costs a fee, I won’t include it here. Instead, I suggest that you focus on the opportunities available through Freelance Writing Gigs, the Problogger job board and others. See my post on freelance writing opportunities for ideas.

Although it can be difficult to win bids on freelance marketplaces such as Elance and Guru, you can sign up for these and others and take advantage of the free membership level. Since many clients post jobs on several boards, being selective will mean that you can bid for a large number of jobs without having to upgrade any of your accounts. Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite way to get work, but it works for some people.

Finally, you can do what others have done successfully. Start by writing for free contributing guest posts to blogs that you like and you may be able to parlay this into a paid blogging job. It’s yet another way to write online and get paid – without spending a dime! Good luck!

P.S.

If you don’t mind investing in your career, then consider these options:

invest $30 in a year’s subscription to Writer’s Market – you will have your pick of writing markets that offer decent pay

Yes, Textbroker is a good one, George. (For those who don’t know, George reviewed Textbroker a couple of years ago). I’ve got a couple more questions in the queue, but am hoping others will come in soon.

Great post and great resources. I personally have found online forums to be a great place to at least get started and build a portfolio little by little. Many online forums (especially webmaster related forums) have sections where you can offer your writings and its a great way to get your feet wet and get your name and your content out there.Satrap wants you to read 53 Ways to Make Money Online

Getting paid to write is a great thing, but somehow I struggled with that. Also I believe with the amount of effort you put on writing for others, you can have your own wonderful blog. Although the money won’t come during the first few months, but you build a passive income opportunity.